Environmental Services

Long Player

When a client can't actually remember when it first employed Pirtek to do its hydraulic repairs, you appreciate just what the phrase long-term customer means. Such is the case with Geesinknorba and Pirtek Park Royal.

Geesinknorba had serviced and maintained the refuse trucks for Hammersmith and Fulham Council for many years. In 2007 Serco tendered and won the contract for refuse collection in the borough, and once again employed Geesinknorba to maintain its fleet of 17 vehicles.

That fleet consists of Geesinknorba bodied Dennis Eagles and Elite 2 trucks with a sprinkling of DAF LF small refuse trucks and Ford cage tippers. To ensure that the ratepayers get maximum value for money, the vehicles are double and sometimes triple-shifted, which often allows just a three-hour window for servicing and maintenance.

Makes Sense

Faced with just one spare vehicle as contingency, it is imperative that all vehicles are in full working order all day and every day, especially as the workshops take on everything from engine and gearbox changes in their 10 hour working day. With just two full-time and one part-time engineer, it makes sense for Geesinknorba to employ outside agencies such as Pirtek for specialist work. The company can then use its workshops at St Albans for some of the more time-consuming work.

“We use Pirtek because we are happy with their service. They keep to the 1 hour ETA; they do our remote roadside repairs; and in the yard they are very flexible. We often call them in for one job and they might end up working on several completely different projects. They are a real help on our preventive maintenance programme, double-checking the hydraulic hoses on vehicles in for regular servicing to make sure the vehicle completes its shift,” says their workshop manager . “Serco does a great job for Hammersmith and Fulham Council, but unless they have the vehicles ready to do the job, they can't provide the service. Geesinknorba ensure that as many trucks as humanly possible are supplied every day and we can guarantee that service because we have Pirtek working in the background to satisfy our hydraulic needs.”